Cut all the metal pieces to size (don't drill any holes yet, though), then take the two hinge leaf sections and round one end of each to make a 3/8" radius. Drill a 5/64" hole on the point of this radius, and weld the hinge leaves to the ends of the base (the centres of the bores in the leaves should line up exactly with the outside corners of the angle-iron base). Next, cut the notches indicated in the pivot block, and clamp it to the front of the base...so that the top surfaces of the two components are flush. Then, drill a 5/64" hole on centre and 1/2" from the end of both handle pieces, temporarily fasten these 3/8" X 1" X 9" bars to the hinge leaves by running a small finishing nail through the two pairs of holes, and-finally-weld the pivot block to the two handles...taking care not to include the base in your weld. With that done, remove the two finishing-nail hinge pins, enlarge the holes in your "double-thick" hinges to 1/4", loosen the clamps, and set the entire handle assembly aside till later. Now bore a 13/32" hole in each end of the hold-down bar (1" from the extreme edges and 1/2" from the angles inside fillet), followed by another hole...of the same size but 5/8" in front of the first. Continue drilling to remove the "meat" between each pair of holes until a rough slot is formed, then take a small file and shave the edges of the slot till the opening forms a smooth, elongated oval. Following this, grind a 45 degree bevel on the hold-down bar's forward edge, then carefully level the grind with a flat file. Next, clamp the hold-down bar to the base (with the bar's bevelled edge 1/16" from the "point of bend") and mark a spot (3/16" from the "inside-fillet" edge of the slot) on the upper surface of each end of the base. Remove the clamps, then drill a 7/16" hole at each of the two points. Now slip 3/8" bolts into these holes from the angle's underside, and weld the heads in place. Once the bolts are firmly attached, drill a 13/16" hole in both adjusting bolt guides, thread the bores with a 1/4" tap, and weld the pieces to the base-directly behind the 3/8" bolts- as illustrated. You can also take this opportunity to permanently fasten the handle assembly to the base by fitting the 1/4" X 1" hinge pins into the holes and tacking the protruding "stubs" to the handles. With all the components completed, give your brake a coat of rustproof paint, and-when it dries- thread the wing nuts onto the eye bolts, screw the eye bolts into the adjusting bolt guides, slip the hold-down bar over the 3/8" bolts (keeping it in place with the two hex nuts), and install the handle grips. Then just clamp the lower lip of the brake's base in a vise...and you are ready to bend some metal!
Sympathetically edited from: The Mother Earth News magazine No. 56 March/April 1979
